1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to assemblies, arrays and systems that are especially useful for dispensing individually packaged dental articles such as orthodontic appliances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dental articles that are sold to dental professionals are often individually packaged by manufacturers in sealed containers. These types of containers can be shipped and handled without undue fear of exposing dental articles within the containers to dust, debris or other contaminants. Individually packaged dental articles are particularly beneficial for large dental offices that tend to treat more than one patient at a time, since the sealed containers help ensure that cross-contamination between patients does not occur as a result of staff members handling multiple articles for different patients.
One well-known type of an individually packaged dental article is an orthodontic appliance that has been pre-coated with a light-curable adhesive for bonding the appliance to a patient's tooth. Examples of adhesive precoated appliances include orthodontic brackets and buccal tubes, both of which once fixed in place can serve as handles for controlling movement of the underlying tooth. Typically, orthodontic brackets and buccal tubes have slots or passages for receiving an orthodontic archwire, and the archwire serves as a track to guide crooked teeth toward desired, aesthetically-pleasing positions during the course of treatment.
The shapes of teeth vary widely from tooth to tooth, and also can vary from patient to patient. In addition, orthodontic malocclusions tend to be different from patient to patient. As a result, orthodontic appliances are sold in a large number of different configurations so that the practitioner is able to select a custom set of suitable appliances for best treating each patient that is encountered. Furthermore, orthodontic appliances are available in a number of different materials such as stainless steel, ceramic and composite materials. Consequently, many orthodontic practitioners maintain an inventory of a large number of different appliances so that the practitioner is able to select desired appliances without waiting for a shipment from a manufacturer or vendor.